


A Week After Death

by manoutoftimeandquake



Series: In The Weeks That Followed [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season/Series 07, Pregnancy, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26109037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manoutoftimeandquake/pseuds/manoutoftimeandquake
Summary: An explosion in an alien junkyard sends Daisy, Sousa and Kora back in time to meet some people from Sousa's past.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Series: In The Weeks That Followed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916866
Comments: 137
Kudos: 488





	1. Anatomy Analysis

Pregnancy tests, one of the things they hadn’t thought to bring with them to space, a serious misstep that Daisy cursed her past self for as she desperately looked through the supplies in the med bay of Zephyr-3. She’d come down to the med lab as soon as she realised she might be pregnant. After searching through the drawers, and finding nothing, she let out a sigh and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She sank to the floor as she dialled the number.

“Jemma, I need your help,” she said as soon as Simmons picked up.

“Of course, what’s wrong?” Simmons asked.

Daisy took in a deep breath. “I think I’m pregnant and there’s no pregnancy tests on Zephyr-3.”

“Oh,” Simmons replied. She was quiet for a moment. “I don’t want to seem like I don’t believe you, but are you sure you’re pregnant?”

“Yeah, my period was late, and I know it became irregular last time we were in space, but it wasn’t this late then, and I’ve been throwing up a couple of times a day for the past week,” Daisy explained. “I can only keep telling the others I got food poisoning from an alien restaurant for so long.”

“Okay, we can figure this out,” Simmons promised.

She and Daisy made a plan. She walked Daisy through the steps on how to draw some blood and upload the sample to the system so she could send it to Simmons to analyse.

“You know you can analyse it yourself on the Zephyr,” Simmons suggested.

“I don’t want it on the results on these systems,” Daisy explained. “And I’m not sure that I could do it.”

“It isn’t hard to do it, I can walk you through it from here,” Simmons reassured.

“That’s not what I meant,” Daisy replied.

Simmons was quiet for a moment. “I’ll do it. And Daisy?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re going to be fine,” Simmons promised. The sound of a notification on a computer sounded on the other end of the phone. “Just got it… anatomy analysis? Really?”

“I want to keep this between us for now,” Daisy explained. “I’m going to delete it from the system here.”

“I’ll send the results to you later,” Simmons said. “We’ve got the meetup in the Framework later.”

“I’ll see you then.”

***

“Did you have to mention the ‘anatomy analysis’ in front of everyone?” Daisy asked as she picked up Simmons called that evening. She was hiding in the small bathroom attached to her and Sousa’s bunk. She peered back around the door, making sure he was asleep before she closed the door, sliding down it as she came to sit down on the floor. “So, what’re my results? I’m already sat down in case you were going to warn me about that.”

Simmons took a deep breath before she answered. “Daisy, you were right.”

“I’m pregnant?”

“You’re pregnant,” Simmons confirmed. The line was silent for a moment. “Daisy, are you still there?”

“Still here, just processing it all,” she replied. She took in a shaky breath. “I’m pregnant… oh my god, I’m pregnant!”

Simmons let out a small laugh. “Yes, you are.”

“I’m going to have a baby,” Daisy said, an excited tone in her voice. “An actual baby. I’m going to be a mother. Wait, I can’t be a mother. I don’t know what I’m doing, it’s not like I have a good example of one to learn from.”

“I’m going to tell May you said that,” Simmons joked.

“May’s going to freak when she finds out,” Daisy replied. “They all are. Do you think that Mack’s going to give Daniel the shovel talk again?”

“If he does, I’m looking forward to watching it,” Simmons said.

“Me too,” Daisy laughed. “I have to go.”

“Off to tell Sousa that he’s going to be a dad?” Simmons asked.

“I’ll tell him in the morning,” Daisy answered. “He’s asleep, I’m hiding in the bathroom. I need some sleep; we’re landing on a nearby planet early tomorrow morning, so it’s an early start for me.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to be cautious from now on, we don’t what sort of effects different worlds could have on an unborn child,” Simmons pointed out.

“Alya turned out fine.”

“And I never left the Zephyr,” Simmons argued. “Look, just be careful, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And Daisy?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re going to be a great mother,” Simmons reassured.

“You really think that?” Daisy asked.

“Of course I do,” Simmons answered. “I’ve seen how you are with Alya; she adores you. You’ll be just as good with your own baby.”

“Well, I am her favourite auntie,” Daisy joked.

“I’m not going to comment as I don’t want to start another fight over favourite aunts/uncles,” Simmons replied. “We do _not_ need that argument repeating.”

“The others aren’t here, you don’t have to be nice on their behalf,” Daisy teased.

“I’m hanging up now,” Simmons said.

“Talk to you later,” Daisy replied. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Simmons said before ending the call.

Daisy pulled her phone away from her ear and clutched it close to her chest. She sat in silence for a few moments before a small, excited grin spread across her face. One hand drifted down to her belly and rested above where her baby was.

Her baby.

It still felt weird to think about. She rubbed her hands in small circles over her belly. After a few minutes of sitting on the floor, she stood and quietly slipped out the bathroom. She tiptoed across her and Sousa’s bunk and made her way to her side of the bed. She placed her phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed. She looked at Sousa’s sleeping face and smiled slightly; she couldn’t wait to tell him about the baby. She felt her eyelids become heavy as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

***

“Daisy, wake up.”

Daisy blinked her eyes open slowly to see Kora stood beside her bed, shaking Daisy’s shoulders in an attempt to wake her. She sat up in bed and looked over to the space next to her and noticed that Sousa was missing.

“Where’s Daniel?” she asked as she looked around the room in confusion. She noticed Kora was dressed, ready for planned landing on the new planet. “How long have I slept in? Have we landed?”

“We’re landing in ten minutes,” Kora replied. “Sousa’s up on the bridge overseeing the landing. He told me he’d left you here because you were still sleeping deeply when he woke up. I just came to check on you.”

Daisy pulled the covers back and climbed out of bed. “You said we’re landing in ten minutes, right?” Kora nodded. “I’ll see you in the loading bay in nine.”

“You sure?” Kora asked.

“Of course,” Daisy replied. She turned to face Kora. “Why’d you ask?”

“You’ve been ill for the last few days, maybe you should get some rest for a bit,” Kora suggested.

“Have you and Daniel been conspiring behind my back?” Daisy asked. “Did you come here to get me for the mission, or did you just come here to let me know that you’re leaving, and I need to stay here.”

“We were just trying to look out for you,” Kora replied without actually answering Daisy’s questions.

“I’ll see you in the loading bay,” Daisy repeated.

***

Daisy arrived in the loading bay at the same time as Sousa, the two of them the only ones there.

“Hey, you’re up,” Sousa said when he saw Daisy, a smile on his face as soon as he saw her.

“No thanks to you and Kora,” Daisy accused.

“We just wanted to make sure that you’re okay,” Sousa defended.

“I know,” Daisy replied. She took a few steps towards him, closing the gap between them. “And I know you both mean well, but I can look after myself.”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to,” Sousa said. He pulled Daisy closer to him and pressed a kiss to her lips. He looked down at her suit as they pulled apart. “Still think that you should put a Q on the utility belt.”

Daisy let out a slight laugh. “You’re ridiculous; you’re lucky I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Hey, I need to tell you something,” Daisy said. Sousa seemed a little confused but waited for her to keep talking. “I’m-”

Daisy was cut off by the sound of the ramp lowering. Kora practically bounced into the loading bay. Despite the fact that they’d landed on dozens of planets by this point in time, Kora was still excited every time they landed someone else new.

“You guys ready?” Kora asked. She didn’t wait for them to respond, just walked off the Zephyr and onto the planet’s surface.

“Talk later?” Sousa suggested.

Daisy nodded and they walked out of the Zephyr after Kora.

***

They very quickly realised the planet they’d landed on was nothing more than a planet-wide junkyard. They’d been walking for over an hour, carefully picking their way through the winding alleys between the piles of junk. They reached a fork in the path.

“I’ll go left, you guys go right,” Kora suggested. Daisy and Sousa nodded and the trio split, going down the two separate paths.

“What is it you wanted to talk about?” Sousa asked.

“Can we wait until we’re off comms?” Daisy replied.

“Sounds serious,” Sousa said. “Are you okay?”

Daisy thought for a moment and was about to turn their comms off when she heard Kora’s voice come over comms.

“I think I need help,” Kora said.

“Kora, what’s wrong?” Daisy asked. There was no response, just the sound of static from Kora’s comms. “Kora?”

A scream echoed from the way Kora had gone. Daisy and Sousa exchanged a look before running in the direction of the scream. When they reached Kora, she was passed out on the floor. A machine in the scrap pile in front of Kora was glowing and making an increasingly large amount of noise.

“Kora!” Daisy cried out as she rushed towards her sister.

“Daisy, look out!” Sousa yelled. Daisy looked up in time to see the machine explode, a blue light swallowing everything around them. Daisy was thrown backwards, crashing into Sousa as she fell. Daisy’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out.

***

When she came to, Daisy was on the floor, Sousa on the floor beneath her. They were no longer on the alien planet, but rather in the meeting room of some office building. The design of the room was outdated, and Daisy hoped that they hadn’t time-travelled again. As the ringing in her ears died down, she realised she could hear people yelling on the other side of the windowed wall that ran down one side of the room. She looked over and noticed that one of the windows had been smashed from their side as if something had gone through it. Daisy hoped that ‘something’ was Kora, that her sister was on the other side of the wall and not left alone, unconscious on the floor of an alien world.

“Daisy, what’s going on?” Sousa asked from behind her.

“I have no idea,” she replied as she moved off of him and sat up, leaning against the table in the middle of the room.

Sousa sat up as well and began to look around the room as if he were just taking in where they were for the first time. “This can’t be possible.”

Daisy frowned. “What do you mean?”

Before Sousa could reply, a woman burst into the room and froze at the sight of Sousa and Daisy sat on the floor.

“Daniel?” she asked in a shocked tone.

“Peggy?”


	2. 1955

Daisy and Sousa were still sat on the floor as Peggy Carter, _the Peggy Carter,_ stared them down.

“Daniel Sousa, is that really you?” Peggy asked.

“Peggy… hi,” Sousa replied. “Listen, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this. Admittedly, it’s a very weird story, but I can explain.”

“Peggy, what’s going on in there? Is there someone else in there?” another voice asked from outside the meeting room. The voice was familiar to Daisy, but there was no way that it could be him. But it was, of course it was.

“Captain America, seriously?” Daisy exclaimed as Steve Rogers walked into the room.

Steve was stunned when he realised who was sat on the floor and staring him down. “Quake? How can that be you? One of my friend’s kid is obsessed with you.”

“Wait, really? Who?” Daisy asked. “You know what, that doesn’t matter. Did you say someone else was here?”

“She came through the window and landed in the bullpen,” Steve answered.

Daisy shakily stood up, using the table for support as regained her balance. “That’ll be Kora. I need to see her.” She tried to walk out of the room but was blocked by Peggy.

“Peggy, let her go. She’s good, she’s on our side,” Sousa promised. Peggy seemed unsure but relented and let Daisy past.

Daisy walked through the door and into the bullpen. She spotted a group of people gathered around something they were looking at on the floor. She shoved her way through and saw Kora lying on the floor. “Kora?” Daisy bent down on the floor next to her sister. She was unconscious but still breathing. Daisy let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god.” She shook Kora’s shoulders slightly. “Kora, wake up.”

Kora let out a slight groan. “Is this you getting me back for waking you up this morning?”

“Who the hell are you two?” one of the men gathered around the sisters asked.

“They’re friendly,” Peggy reassured as she left the meeting room, Steve and Sousa walking out behind her. The room was filled with confused and excited mutterings, Sousa’s name being mentioned often. Peggy looked at Kora and Daisy. “My office.”

Daisy helped Kora to her feet, looping one arm around her waist to help her keep her balance, and followed Peggy to an office on the other side of the bullpen. Sousa caught up with the sisters. “You recognised here, where are we?”

“This is an old S.H.I.E.L.D. base, really old. I used to work here, even before it was S.H.I.E.L.D., back when it was SSR,” Sousa answered. “I don’t know how we got here, and I don’t know what year this is.”

They followed Peggy through the office door. Peggy took a seat behind the desk. There were two seats on the other side of the desk. Daisy lowered Kora into one chair before taking the other. Sousa came to stand behind Daisy’s chair. Steve closed the blinds on the windows to the bullpen.

“Where have you been?” Peggy asked, looking straight at Sousa.

“Would you believe me if I said space?” Sousa replied.

“You’ve spent the last week in space? That’s what you’re going with,” Peggy demanded.

“Wait, week? What are you talking about?” Sousa asked.

“You were found dead a week ago,” Peggy replied. “Two gunshot wounds to the back, floating in a pool. We had your funeral yesterday, and here you are claiming you’ve actually been in space that entire time.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Steve interrupted. Everyone looked over at him. “Quake’s a twenty-first-century superhero and now Sousa seems to know her, something else is going on here.”

Sousa let out a slight laugh at the codename ‘Quake’, earning him a light hit in the leg from Daisy.

Peggy looked between Sousa and Steve. “Daniel, what’s he talking about?”

“I’ve been in the twenty-first century for the past year,” Sousa answered.

“You’ve been gone for a year!” Peggy exclaimed. Sousa nodded. “How did it happen?”

Sousa looked to Daisy for help; even after a year in the twenty-first century, he still had some issues with the science side of their missions.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. was on a mission that required us to travel through time,” Daisy began to explain. “We ended up in the fifties, a couple of days before Daniel was killed. We knew his death happening at that time was key to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s history, but we couldn’t just leave him to die. So, we faked his death and took him with us. Same with Kora.” She glanced over at her sister. “She should’ve died in the eighties.”

“So, they kidnapped you?” Peggy asked.

“They saved my life,” Sousa replied.

“But they didn’t let you go?” Peggy asked.

“They offered to let me leave when we were in the seventies,” Sousa answered.

Peggy leant back in her chair and stared him down. “And you didn’t because?”

“I was where I needed to be,” Sousa answered. “And I still am, or at least I was until something brought the three of us back here.”

“So, you don’t know what it was that brought you back?” Steve said.

“No idea,” Daisy replied. “We weren’t even on Earth. We’d just landed on an alien planet. It turned out to be a planet-wide junkyard and Kora managed to set something off, causing an explosion. Next thing I knew, we were here.”

“I need to go call Stark,” Peggy said. “You three need someplace to stay tonight and he’ll be more than happy to have you.” She stood and left the room, Steve following her as she went.

“I’m going to apologise now for Howard, because lord knows he won’t,” Sousa sighed.

Kora stood from her chair and began to pace the room.

“Are you okay?” Daisy asked.

“No, of course I’m not,” Kora snapped. “We’re trapped in the fifties, Daisy, how are you not freaking out about this. Sure, it’s fine for Danny-boy, he’s from this time, he’s got friends here, hell, we got sent straight to his friends, but what does this mean for us?”

“I don’t know,” Daisy replied. “But we’re not doing ourselves any favours by freaking out. We need to come up with a plan. And I think finding out how Captain America ended up back here is going to be our first step.”

Kora didn’t respond. Instead, she walked over to the windows and cracked the blinds open slightly so she could watch what was happening in the bullpen.

Sousa took Kora’s now empty seat and shifted it slightly closer to Daisy. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Daisy glanced over at Kora to make sure she wasn’t listening in on their conversation. She reached over and grasped Sousa’s hands in her own and took a deep breath in. “Okay, I’m-”

“So, what’s the next step after we find out Cap got back to the fifties?” Kora interrupted.

Daisy gritted her teeth as she turned to face her sister. “We were talking.”

“I know, but we need a better plan than just talk to Captain America,” Kora insisted.

“We can either use his tech travel back ourselves or possibly send a message to the team. Zephyr-1 still has the time drive installed, they can come pick us up,” Daisy explained. She shot Kora a glare.

Kora, realising that she wasn’t wanted in the conversation, started to head back towards the windows. “I’ll keep a watch.”

“What were you trying to say?” Sousa asked as he turned back to Daisy.

Daisy opened her mouth to answer when Kora interrupted her again.

“We’ve got incoming,” she warned.

“Oh, come on!” Daisy complained.

The door opened a few seconds later. It was Peggy and Steve.

“Howard is more than happy to have you come and stay at his house,” Peggy said. “If anything, I’d say he’s rather excited at the idea.”

“It’s a short drive from here,” Steve added. “We can take you.”

The trio followed Peggy and Steve out of the office and towards the exit of the building, Kora walking slightly ahead of Daisy and Sousa. Daisy noticed the stares the group were receiving from the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Sousa reached across the small distance between them and grasped her hand tightly in his own and shot her a reassuring smile. They were still holding hands when they reached a car parked in an alleyway a few blocks away from the office. Peggy smirked slightly when she saw and opened the backdoor to the car. The group were soon driving out of the city and towards Howard Stark’s house.

“So,” Peggy said after a few moments. “How long have you and Daniel been together?”

“Peggy,” Sousa went to argue.

“No, babe, it’s okay,” Daisy reassured. “We got together just over a year ago, just as we finished the time travel mission that we met on.”

“So that’s why you didn’t leave in the seventies,” Steve teased.

“I’m even going to try and argue with that,” Sousa laughed.

“That’s because he’s telling the truth,” Kora added. “I mean, you did almost stay behind in the eighties, but even then that was because of Daisy. Help the team, save Daisy.”

“And who are you in all of this?” Peggy asked, looking back at Kora.

“I’m Daisy’s older sister,” she replied.

“Younger sister,” Daisy corrected. “I’m older than you.”

“Here we go again,” Sousa complained.

“What do you mean?” Peggy asked.

“No, I was born thirty years before you,” Kora said as she turned to face her sister.

“Yeah, but when we took you in ’83, you were twenty-five, so now you’re twenty-six, and I’m thirty-two,” Daisy argued. “I’m the older sibling.”

“How often does this happen?” Steve asked.

“Too often,” Sousa replied.

***

“So, this is Howard Stark’s place?” Daisy said as she got out of the car.

“This is it,” Sousa replied. “And I’m going to apologise again for Howard’s behaviour again.”

“If he’s anything like Tony, then I have an idea what we’re in for,” Daisy said.

“You knew Tony?” Steve asked, overhearing their conversation.

Daisy shook her head. “Never met the guy, but I had a friend who knew him.”

Peggy marched up to the front door and knocked harshly. The door was opened a few moments later. “Mr Jarvis, lovely to see you.”

“Lovely to see you too Director Carter,” the man, Jarvis replied. He looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Sousa. “I didn’t believe Mr Stark when he first told me, but it appears he was telling the truth. Agent Sousa, may I say, it is very good to see you again.” He shook Sousa’s hand enthusiastically when the man reached him. He stepped back from the door to allow the group inside.

Sousa led Daisy through the hallways of Howard’s mansion until they reached a large dining room. A ginger woman was laying food out on the table as everyone approached.

“Daisy, Kora, this is Ana Jarvis,” Sousa introduced. “Ana, it’s good to see you again. Where’s Howard?”

“Right here.” Everyone turned to face Howard as he sauntered into the room. “Agent Sousa, good to see you back from the dead. And I see that you brought some friends.”


	3. Stark's Place

“Who are these lovely women?” Howard asked.

“Sousa’s girlfriend and her sister,” Peggy answered. “Calm down Howard.”

Howard raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything else on the matter. “Let’s sit down.”

Everyone sat down around the table, Ana and Jarvis included at Peggy’s insistence once she pointed out they were celebrating Sousa’s return from the dead.

“So, Cap, how did you end up back in the fifties?” Daisy asked.

“Don’t expect him to tell you that,” Howard replied. “I’ve been trying to get that information out of him for years, ever since Peggy told me he’d shown up again with stories from the future. He won’t crack.”

“Why do you want to know?” Steve asked.

“Because if you still have access to whatever tech you used to get back here, then that might be our best bet of getting home,” Daisy answered.

“It’s a suit,” Steve explained. “It allowed us to shrink down so we could travel through the quantum realm which allowed us to time travel. But there’s no Pym Particles left to power it. It can’t be used to get anyone home.”

“That’s the most he’s ever said about how he got here,” Howard commented.

“The quantum realm, that’s what how we got back to our timeline from the alternate one where we took those two from,” Daisy said, pointing over at Kora and Sousa.

“And how Fitz joined us,” Sousa added.

“Exactly,” Daisy agreed. “We were able to send a signal through the quantum realm, so he knew where to find us.” She looked over at Steve. “Please can I look at this suit? I think I might be able to send a message back to our team, so they know where and when to pick us up.”

Steve thought for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I can get the suit from home in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Daisy said with a smile.

“Did you say you took Sousa and Kora from an alternate timeline?” Howard asked. Daisy nodded. “Does that mean that they’re still dead in this timeline? Did we actually bury our Sousa yesterday and he’s a different version of the same Sousa?”

“I try not to think about it,” Sousa replied.

“Is time travel normally this crazy?” Ana asked.

“It is,” Daisy answered. “That’s why we want to get home.”

“Well, now that Steve has finally decided to talk to someone about he got back here, you two should be able to get back home in no time,” Howard said.

“Two of us? I thought Starks were supposed to be smart, but turns out you can’t even count,” Kora teased. “There’s three of us; me, Daisy and Sousa.”

“Three of you that arrived here, but only of you going back,” Howard replied. He nodded over at Sousa. “I mean, this guy’s obviously going to want to stay here, now that he’s back in his own time.”

“No, I’m leaving with Daisy and Kora when our team comes back to pick us up,” Sousa said.

“What? Why?” Peggy demanded.

“…Because I need to get back home,” Sousa answered after a moment’s pause. “I don’t see what’s so hard to understand here.”

“Sousa, you’ve been gone a week, what home are you talking about?” Howard asked.

“It’s been a year for him, not a week,” Peggy corrected. “But Howard’s right. A year isn’t that long, you can come back to your old life.”

“It’s not as hard adjusting to being back in this time as you’d think,” Steve added.

“We’re still sat right here,” Daisy interrupted. “If he says he’s staying in the future with us, he’s staying in the future with us.” She turned to face Steve. “Just because you felt it was okay to ditch your team after a decade, doesn’t mean he’s going to do the same.”

“I think I’ll go fetch the dessert,” Jarvis announced in an attempt to break the tension in the room. He stood and left the room, leaving behind a table full of people glaring at each other.

***

“Don’t let them get to you,” Sousa said that evening.

Daisy looked over at him from where she was getting changed. “What are you talking about?”

“Them insisting that I should stay here, that it’s the right thing for me,” he explained. “They’re wrong, the right thing for me is to go back home with you.”

“But isn’t there even the smallest part of you that wants to stay here?” Daisy asked.

“A very small part does, but I’d rather be with you, and I wouldn’t expect you to stay here without the rest of the team,” he answered. “That’s not fair on you.”

“And it’s not fair on you either, to ask you to just leave all this behind when you have a second chance at a life here,” Daisy replied.

Sousa made his way over to Daisy and rubbed his arms reassuringly on her arms. “You don’t have to ask me to do anything. I want to go back to our time. Yes, these people were my friends for years, but I’ve made my peace with the fact that I was never going to see them again. What’s happened to us isn’t a chance for me to come back, it’s a chance for me to say goodbye.”

“Are you sure you’re not just saying that?” Daisy asked. Sousa leant in and kissed her softly. Daisy tipped her head upwards and deepened the kiss, her hands coming up to themselves in Sousa’s hair. She felt his arms moved down and rest around her waist as he walked her back towards the bed. She fell backwards, Sousa landing on top of her. Daisy pulled back slightly from Sousa, her thumbs tracing the outline of his face. “Babe, as much as I am enjoying this, this isn’t an answer to my question.”

“I’m not just saying it,” Sousa answered. “I promise. I want to go back with you. I want to have that life we talked about.”

Daisy smiled and leant up to kiss him again. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Sousa frowned slightly. “What is it?”

“I’m-”

A knock came from the door. “Daisy? Can I borrow you for a moment?” Ana asked.

Daisy let out a groan and pushed lightly against Sousa’s shoulders. Understanding what she meant, Sousa moved off her so she could make her way over to the door. She cracked the door open slightly. “What is it that you need Ana?”

“I was just looking for some clothes for you and Kora to borrow and wanted to make sure they would fit,” Ana answered.

Daisy looked over at Sousa before she left. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised before following Ana down the hall. Kora was waiting out there with Ana.

“Did we interrupt something?” Kora teased as she reached over to flatten Daisy’s hair down where it was ruffled up at the back.

“Shut up,” Daisy muttered, elbowing Kora in the side.

Ana led them to another bedroom, a few different outfits laid out on the bed. Ana picked one up from the bed and handed it to Daisy. “Go try that on. Were the nightclothes I gave you alright?”

“They’re great, thanks,” Daisy replied as she took the outfit from Ana and went behind a changing screen. She was halfway through changing when she stopped and looked down at her belly. There wasn’t any visible bump yet, but she could already see that her belly was looking a little fuller. She rubbed her belly gently, smiling slightly.

“Daisy, are you almost done back there?” Kora asked.

“I’ll be just a minute,” Daisy replied. She pulled the top on over her head and walked back out from behind the screen. “This reminds me of what I was wearing the first time I arrived in the fifties.”

“You look good,” Kora said.

“It suits you,” Ana agreed. She turned to the closet. “I’ll look for a few others, I have a feeling you’re going to be here a while.”

***

“I didn’t think Ana was ever going to let me go,” Daisy joked as she walked back into the bedroom. She walked back over to the bed and climbed in next to Sousa. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation from earlier.” She didn’t get any response. “Sousa.”

Her boyfriend let out a loud snore.

Daisy rolled her eyes. “Guess I’ll have to tell you in the morning.”


	4. On A Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half the comments on the last chapter: Poor Daisy  
> Me, looking at the plan: 😬

Daisy, with Peggy’s help, had managed to secure a desk in the lab at S.H.I.E.L.D. the next morning. She’d taken a seat in the far corner of the room, out of the way of everyone else in the lab. But it didn’t hide her from the stares and whispers of the scientists working around her. While they’d managed to keep it under wraps the fact that they’d travelled from the future, people had managed to find out about Daisy and Sousa’s relationship.

Daisy was snapped out of her thoughts when a suit was placed on the table in front of her. She looked up to see Steve.

“Please don’t let Howard near this,” he said.

“I won’t,” she promised. She spotted a small box in his hands. “What’s that?”

Steve placed the box on the table and opened it up. “Phone, phone charger and an adapter for plugging into fifties mains electric.”

“You brought a phone with you to the fifties?” Daisy asked.

“It has photos of me with the rest of the Avengers,” Steve explained. “Just because I left them, doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

“I’ll try not to fry it,” Daisy promised.

“I’d be lying if I said that filled me with confidence,” Steve replied. He sat down on the seat next to Daisy’s. “Anything I can help you with?”

“There is actually,” Daisy replied. “If I’m going to be sending a message through using Stark tech, it’s going to be picked up by the Avengers, I’m going to need you to verify that message or they’re not going to believe it.”

***

Steve and Daisy had been working on wiring the phone into the time-space GPS on the suit when Sousa walked into the room.

Daisy smiled when she looked up and saw her boyfriend approaching. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Peggy needs us in her office, she didn’t say what for, only that it’s urgent,” he explained.

Daisy and Steve started to hurriedly pack up their stuff, not wanting to leave the future technology where the other scientists in the lab could access it. The three made their way through the hallways in the direction of Peggy’s office. Kora was already in the office when they got there.

“What’s happening?” Steve asked as he closed the door behind him.

Peggy let out a sigh. “Something’s come up. The people we’ve been tracking for the past few weeks have shown up again. They’ve been spotted at a warehouse just outside of Philadelphia. We need to move quickly if we want to get to them before they move again.”

“Who are these people?” Kora asked.

“Arms dealers, right?” Daisy replied. She looked over at Sousa. “You told me that you’d been tracking them for a while before we took you.”

“Yes, they wouldn’t normally be something that S.H.I.E.L.D. would deal with, but the power source they’re using to power these weapons is an 084 they stole from us a few months back,” Peggy explained. “We’ve been tracking them to try and get it back.”

“So, you need us to go in?” Kora asked.

“Not all of us,” Sousa replied. “Just me, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Daisy asked. She turned to look at Sousa. “Daniel, what’re you talking about?”

“Steve is normally the one who goes on these missions, but if you need him in the lab, they’re going to be down a lead officer,” Sousa explained. He looked over at Peggy. “I’m guessing you want me to take his place.”

“You know I wouldn’t ask you if I had any other choice,” Peggy replied. “But you’re the most experienced senior agent we have here, and I trust you.”

“I could go,” Kora offered.

“Kora, no,” Daisy interrupted. “You’re not going into a situation like that. You have barely six months of experience in the field and if these people find out about your powers, you’re gonna make yourself a target.”

“Powers?” Peggy asked.

“She’s got powers as well?” Steve said at the same time.

Peggy turned to face Steve. “As well?”

“Daisy has a superhero name, she has powers to go with it,” Steve explained.

“She’s a total badass,” Sousa added.

“And she’s right,” Peggy said. “The lengths they to in order to get the 084 shows how dangerous these people can be. They’ll be worse if they realise enhanced people are working with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“He’s enhanced,” Kora pointed out as she nodded at Steve.

“And your energy manipulation would be way more dangerous in their hands than a super-soldier serum,” Daisy argued. She looked over at Steve. “No offence.”

“None taken,” he replied. “If by power manipulation it means her powers are anything like Wanda’s, she’s at risk if she goes after these people. And there goes the timeline.”

“I’ll go,” Sousa agreed. He smiled reassuringly at Daisy. “I’ll be fine, I’ve gone on countless missions like this, I know what I’m doing.”

“The team leaves in less than hour,” Peggy said. “Be ready by then. We haven’t gone through your locker yet; all your stuff is still in there.”

***

“I’m going to be fine,” Sousa promised for the fifth time in less the last half hour.

Daisy was sat on a bench in the locker room as Sousa got ready for the mission. The rest of the agents were on the far side of the row of lockers in the middle of the room, getting changed out of Daisy’s sight.

“You keep saying that, but it’s not particularly reassuring,” Daisy replied.

“And why’s that?”

“Because the last time you went on a mission in the fifties, you died,” Daisy explained, lowering her voice so the others wouldn’t hear her talking about time travel.

“You’d think the amount of missions I went on without dying before that would reflect well on my record,” Sousa replied. “Besides, how many time have you died?”

“Fifteen times in the time-loop, then when I died in space after defeating Malick, and I was also dead in Deke’s timeline,” Daisy counted. “So, that’s a grand total of seventeen deaths.”

“You sound way too proud of that,” Sousa replied.

“You’re just jealous that I’ve got a more impressive record than you,” Daisy teased.

“Sorry that I only died the once,” Sousa jokingly defended.

“Twice.”

“What?”

“You died twice,” Daisy corrected.

“When was the second time?” Sousa asked.

“During the time-loop,” she explained. “You died so that I wouldn’t lose my memories when the time-loop reset.”

“You never told me about this.”

“I didn’t want to think about it,” Daisy replied.

Sousa closed his locker and moved over to where Daisy was and sat next to her. “I’m going to be fine.”

“Stop saying that,” Daisy said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen on this mission.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “What if Hydra find out that you’re here and come after you?”

“Then at least I know they’re after me this time,” he joked. He leant in and kiss Daisy softly. She smiled into the kiss and pulled him closer to her.

“I really need to tell you something,” Daisy said.

“You keep saying this, I’m started to get worried that you’re breaking up with me,” Sousa teased.

“Not that, god, never that,” Daisy reassured. “Far from it, pretty much the opposite.”

The door to the locker room was opened suddenly.

“Director Carter needs everyone downstairs immediately,” Steve announced.

Sousa let out a sigh. “We keep getting interrupted, it’s like people don’t want us to have this conversation.” He pressed a quick kiss to Daisy’s lips. “I’ll see you when I get back. I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	5. Loss Of Contact

“Yesterday, you said something about preserving the timeline,” Daisy said as she and Steve were working on the time-space GPS. “I’m guessing that’s why no one here is talking about a certain organisation infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Steve looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. “As much as I hate it, I have to keep it hidden. No one’s figured it out yet, so history stays on track.”

“Well, not no one.”

Steve was confused. “Who?”

“Daniel did,” Daisy answered. “But he reported it to the wrong person and that’s what got him killed.”

“God, I had no idea that’s what happened to him,” Steve replied.

Howard suddenly appeared in front of their desk. “What are you two conspiring about?”

“Discussing pop culture from the twenty-first century,” Daisy lied quickly, covering up their Hydra conversation.

“We were being quiet because the general sense of humour changes a lot by then and we didn’t want to alarm people,” Steve added, realising what Daisy was doing.

“There’s only one thing worse than a rapist… boom,” Daisy said, hoping that Steve knew vine.

“A child.”

“No.”

“You people are insane,” Howard stated and walked away.

Daisy and Steve shared a look and then burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe we got away with that,” Steve said between laughs.

“I can’t believe I just quoted vines with Captain America,” Daisy replied. “My friends aren’t going to believe me when we get back.”

“I have a S.H.I.E.L.D. related question to ask you,” Steve said.

“Shoot.”

“That friend you mentioned who knew Tony, was it Coulson?” Steve asked.

Daisy let out a slight sigh. “Should’ve known you’d figured that one out.”

“So you did know him?” Daisy nodded. “I’m sorry about what happened to him in New York. He was a good man; he didn’t deserve to meet an end like that.” Daisy tensed slightly. “Wait, he is actually dead, right?”

“It’s… complicated,” Daisy replied.

“How complicated?” Steve asked. “Are you saying he didn’t actually die in New York?”

“He did,” Daisy answered. “He just came back from the dead a few days later, then died again a couple of years ago. And then an alien with his face tried to kill us all and then we needed him for our time travel mission, so Fitzsimmons made a robot version of him using the scan we had of his brain from our time in the framework.”

“The framework?”

“A virtual version of reality where Hydra was in power.”

Steve leant back in his chair slightly. “That sounds intense.”

“It was,” Daisy replied. “And once we got out, we immediately were labelled as fugitives and then kidnapped and forced through a portal created by a monolith that sent us seventy years into the future to an alternate timeline where the planet had been destroyed and the survivors were living in an underground bunker in the only secure part of the crust left where they were being ruled by tyrannical aliens.”

“You guys win,” Steve announced.

“I’m sorry?”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, we both may have spent a lot of our time saving the world, but you guys put up with the most bullshit,” Steve explained.

“Didn’t realise we were in competition, but thanks,” Daisy replied. She looked up from her work for a moment. “I have an Avengers related question.”

“Shoot.”

“You said one of your friend’s kid was obsessed with me, was that an Avenger’s kid?” she asked.

Steve let out a slight laugh. “Barton’s daughter, Lila. You’re her second favourite superhero.”

“After her Dad, I’m guessing.”

“After her Auntie Nat,” Steve corrected. “Clint came in third place.”

“That’s fair,” Daisy replied. “It is pretty hard to beat Black Widow.”

“You should’ve seen his face when she told him,” Steve laughed. “I can’t remember how it started, but she looked him dead in the eye and told him that ‘if he didn’t stop being a fucking idiot, he would be moving down to her fourth favourite superhero and Wanda would be getting third place’. He asked who was ahead of him and she told it was Nat, and then you ‘obviously’. Cooper, Clint’s eldest, agreed and so did a few of the others around their age. I think you have a bit of a fan club amongst the younger Avengers and the kids.”

“I’ll drop by someday once we get back,” Daisy said. “I’m sure they’d be really excited to meet Quake. I’ll probably go without Daniel, though. Don’t want him to ruin the fan club by having him convince them that my codename is hilarious.”

“What is it with him and your codename anyway?” Steve asked.

“I have no idea,” Daisy replied. “Mack told him my codename and he just found it hilarious. He stills goes on about it a year later.”

“Well, don’t expect it to stop anytime soon,” Steve said. “Peggy still mockingly calls me Captain America all the time. And the amount of times I heard Laura tease Clint by calling him Hawkeye was unbelievable.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I love him,” Daisy laughed.

“He seems happy,” Steve said, the tone of the conversation becoming more serious. “A lot happier than when I last saw. And I know that for you two, it has been a lot longer than the week it has been for me, but even in a year, the difference is amazing. Same with you.”

“But we never met before,” Daisy pointed out.

“I know, but I’ve seen you on TV,” Steve said. “And I know from experience that as a superhero you never let anyone see how you really are when the cameras on you. And that experience means you can see through the act. But this isn’t an act, you seem really happy. And I’m happy for the both of you.”

“Thanks,” Daisy replied. She noticed Steve frowning at something. “What is it?”

“Something’s wrong,” he answered.

Daisy followed his gaze to see Kora rushing into the lab, hurriedly stepping around other desks as she made her way around other desks.

“What’s wrong?” Daisy asked as Kora reached them.

“Something’s going on in the bullpen,” Kora replied. “I don’t know what, but it looks like something’s gone wrong on the mission.”

Daisy practically leapt out of her seat and raced her out of the room, Steve and Kora right behind her. When she reached the bullpen, people were rushing around and yelling at each other. Men were gathering around maps and looked as if they were getting ready to leave. Peggy spotted Daisy and immediately made her way over.

“Peggy, what’s going on?” Daisy asked.

Peggy placed her hand on Daisy’s elbow and began to steer her towards the office. “Let’s talk in private.”

Daisy felt like her breath had just been knocked out of her body. She allowed Peggy to lead her into the office and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

“What’s going on?” Kora asked as she took the seat next to Daisy. She shifted the chair closer to Daisy and grasped her sister’s hands in her own.

“We lost contact with the team in Philadelphia,” Peggy explained. “There was an explosion in the compound they were infiltrating…”

Daisy was vaguely aware of Peggy continuing to talk, but it all began to fade into the background. A few tears began to form in her eyes, and she took in a few shaky breaths. “Is he okay?” Peggy froze mid-sentence. “Peggy, please, just tell me.” She let out a slight sob. “Is Daniel dead?”

“We don’t know,” Peggy confessed. “We’re sending in a second team to try and make contact with his team and hopefully bring everyone home alive.”

“And if you can’t?” Daisy asked.

“Then we’ll do our best to bring back their bodies,” Peggy promised. “I have to go help organise this mission. I am really sorry Daisy, truly.” She left the room, Steve following her.

“Daisy, are you okay?” Kora asked.

Daisy shook her head and hunched over as she began to cry. She felt Kora wrap her arms around her and hold her close. Daisy buried her face into her hands as sobs began to wrack her body. One of her hands drifted downwards, away from her face and towards her belly. She rubbed it slightly, the action soothing her slightly.

“Daisy, he’s going to be okay,” Kora promised. “He’ll come back to you, it’s going to be fine.”

“Please,” Daisy begged quietly, so quiet even Kora couldn’t hear her. She didn’t know who she was talking too, but she prayed that someone was listening. “Please, just let him come back to us, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who kept saying "poor Daisy"... I'm sorry


	6. Breakdowns

“Have you ever thought about having kids?” Daisy asked.

Sousa looked over Daisy’s shoulder to the clock on her nightstand. “Daisy, it’s two in the morning, why are you still awake?”

“But have you?”

“Yeah, why’d you ask?” Sousa asked. “You’re not…”

“No, no, god no,” Daisy replied. “I was just thinking about it.”

“Okay, that’s good,” Sousa said. Daisy raised an eyebrow at his response. “Not good as in I don’t ever want to have kids with you, but good as in we’re not really in a position right now to have a kid, considering we’ve just left for deep space and…” Daisy cut his rambling off by leaning in and kissing him. “What about you?” he asked when she pulled back.

“What about me?”

“Do you want kids?”

“I do. Not now, obviously, but someday I do,” she replied. “I want to have children with you.”

***

Daisy woke in her room at Howard Stark’s house, forcing herself to calm her breathing and stop the room shaking as she brought her powers back under her control. She looked over in the bed next to her. It was empty, as empty as it had been when she’d gone to sleep.

She sunk back against the pillows as her dream replayed in her mind. She’d been thinking about the conversation a lot over the past couple of days, ever since Simmons had told her she was pregnant. It had been six months after the end of the team’s final mission and a week after they’d left on Zephyr-3 on a nine-month-long mission in deep space, with Kora who had recently graduated from the Coulson Academy.

They’d talked for hours after that, planning their future together. How they were going to turn the spare room in their apartment into a nursery, how they were going to tell Kora that she’d lost her use of said spare room and was going to have to find somewhere else to stay when she wasn’t on missions with S.H.I.E.L.D., the small argument over whether or not they were going to get a cat or a dog (eventually deciding that maybe they’d start with something easier, like a hamster). Any of her past relationships, Daisy would’ve been terrified at the thought of having this conversation, planning their lives together in great detail. But with Sousa, it had just felt different. Even after only six months together, she knew that she wanted to spend her life with him, have that future with him.

She wiped a few stray tears away from her eyes and went back to sleep.

***

Daisy was working in the lab with Steve again the next day, the two having hardly spoken since they got there.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked from where he was sat next to her.

“Of course I’m not,” Daisy snapped. She threw the tools she was using down on the desk and turned to glare at him. “Daniel is missing, I have no idea where he is, or if he’s even alive, and there’s nothing I can do to help look for him. And on top of that, we’re stuck almost seventy years in the past and the only hope we have for getting back home is being able to send a message using this suit, which I don’t even know if it’ll work.” She felt the tears beginning to return and the room began to shake slightly.

“Daisy, calm down,” Steve warned.

Daisy brought her powers back under her control. She bent over slightly and held her head in her hands as she began to cry. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Steve replied. “You’re allowed to be upset over the whole situation. And you don’t have to apologise about your powers, me, Peggy, and Kora are the only people who know about them, everyone else probably thinks that it was just Walker’s experiment gone wrong. Again.” He shook his head slightly. “Why they keep approving his experiments, I will never know.”

Daisy let out a slight laugh. “Sounds like he’d get along with Fitzsimmons.” Around them, people started to leave the room. “What’s going on?”

“We’re getting evacuated so they can check Walker’s experiment to see if it’s playing up again,” Steve explained. He gathered up their stuff. “We’d better head out.”

Daisy followed him out of the room towards the bullpen. Peggy was waiting for them when they got there, locking eyes with Daisy as she walked into the room.

“Agent Johnson, a word,” she said before turning and walking into her office. Daisy followed her into the office and took a seat. Peggy sighed slightly as she closed the door behind her. “Sorry about that, that was the only way I could get you in here without anyone else trying to follow.” She sat down in the seat next to Daisy rather than on the other side of the desk. “How are you doing?”

Daisy let out a sigh. “I’m fine, I’ll be able to keep more powers under control.”

“Wait, that quake was you?” Peggy asked. Daisy nodded. “I thought that was just Walker again.”

“No, it was me,” Daisy replied. “I sometimes lose control of my powers when I get upset or afraid.” She wiped a few tears away from her eyes.

“Daisy, it’s okay to be afraid when someone you love is in danger,” Peggy reassured.

“I know,” Daisy replied as she started crying more. “It’s just… god, I love him so much, and the thought that he might be gone, and he’ll never know.” Daisy cut herself off as she started crying harder.

Peggy reached over and rubbed Daisy’s back soothingly. “He knows, I promise you, he knows. I’ve heard the way you talk to each other and seen the way you look at each other. He knows how much you love him, and I know he feels the same way about you.”

Daisy shook her head. “That’s not it… I… I’m…”

“Daisy, I’m not trying to force you into talking about something you don’t want to, I’m just trying to help you,” Peggy said.

“I know, it’s just…,” Daisy replied. She took in a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.” She choked out a sob and let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. “God, it feels so good to finally be able to say that out loud.”

Peggy was obviously stunned. “Oh,” was all she was able to say. She paused for a few moments. “And he doesn’t know?”

“No,” Daisy replied. “And not because I didn’t want to. I kept trying to tell him, but every time I managed to get him alone, someone interrupted.”

“Was I one of those people?” Peggy asked.

“A couple of times, yeah,” Daisy answered.

“I’ll try not to do it again,” Peggy replied. She moved the seats around slightly, so she and Daisy were sat facing each other. She tipped Daisy’s head up, so she was no longer hunched over and was looking Peggy in the eye. “You’ve worked this job, so you know I can’t promise you that he’ll be okay. But I can promise that I will do everything in my power to find him and bring him home to you, and your baby, if that’s at all possible. Daniel is a good agent and a good man, if anyone deserves a happy life like the one the two of you want, it’s him. And you deserve it as well.”

Daisy nodded. “I need to go back to working on the suit if I can back into the lab, that is.”

“No you don’t,” Peggy replied. “Take the rest of the day off, Daisy. You need to take some time to yourself, given everything that’s happening. Besides, I can’t imagine you’d leave Daniel behind.”

“Thank you,” Daisy said. “For everything.”

Peggy smiled back at her as she made her way over to the door. “I’d better get going, I’ve got work to get done.” She was almost out of the room when she turned back to face Daisy again. “And remember your orders, Agent Johnson, take a break.”

Daisy waited a few moments after Peggy left before exiting the office. She started walking in the direction of the lab, before remembering what Peggy had told her. She doubled back and started walking in the direction of the locker room. She slipped into the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. She made her way over to Sousa’s locker and quaked the lock open. His things from the twenty-first century were mixed together with his things from the fifties. On the back of the door, she spotted a few photos taped up. Most of them were from the fifties, pictures of him with Peggy, Howard, and Steve, but one was newer, one that he must’ve put up before he left on the mission. It was of the two of them, the day after they moved into their apartment together. She knew he kept a copy of it in on him but hadn’t seen him put it up the other day. She pulled it from the door as she sat down on the bench, grabbing his shirt as well. She sat and stared at the photo, burying her nose in the fabric of his shirt, finding some comfort in the familiar scent.

***

Daisy was sat in the same position when she heard shouting in the halls outside the locker room. She thought she’d only been there for a few minutes, but a quick glance out of the window showed her that she’d been there for hours. As she was making up her mind about what to do, she heard someone come running down the hall towards the locker room.

“Daisy!” Peggy yelled as she burst into the room. She was out of breath from running through the halls, but she had an excited smile on her face. “They’re back.”


	7. Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dramatic tv host voice* and now, the moment you've all been waiting for

Daisy sat up a little straighter on the bench, a hopeful look on her face. “Daniel?”

“He’s okay,” Peggy replied with a nod.

Daisy was on her feet a few moments later as she ran through the halls, Peggy just behind her. The two women made their way back to the bullpen where the group of returning agents were gathered. Daisy came to a sudden stop, her feet frozen to the ground as she laid eyes on Sousa. He looked relatively unhurt, aside from a few small cuts on his face and arms, and was talking with another agent. As if he somehow instinctively knew she was there, he turned his head in her direction, his eyes lighting up when he saw Daisy stood there. Daisy choked on a sob and rushed towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her as she fought back tears.

Sousa pulled away from her slightly and wiped a few stray tears away from her cheeks. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here, we’re both going to be fine.”

“I’m pregnant,” Daisy blurted out, her voice shaking. Sousa froze and Daisy could hear shocked gasps and whispers coming from all around her. “I wanted to tell you, but every time I tried, someone interrupted us. And then we lost contact with your team and I thought something had happened to you. And you would never know. And I just couldn’t take it. I hated thinking that you’d died without knowing about our baby.”

“Our baby,” Sousa said softly, an excited yet unsure tone in his voice as he said the words. Around her, Daisy could hear people leave as Peggy ushered them out, giving the couple some privacy. “We’re having a baby?”

Daisy nodded. “Yeah, we’re having a baby. We’re gonna be parents.” The small smile on Sousa’s face widened as he leant in to kiss her. Daisy was grinning wildly when they pulled apart. “I take it that you’re happy?”

“Of course I am,” Sousa replied. “God, I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She pressed her head to his chest, still crying slightly. “Do you remember our conversation on the Zephyr a few months ago?” she asked, her voice slightly muffled.

“The one just after we left Earth? About our future?” he replied.

Daisy nodded against his chest. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I found out. We were talking about that life we wanted together like it was so far away in our future. But in a few months, we’re going to have that life.”

“You sound nervous.”

“I am nervous,” she replied. “More than nervous, I’m terrified. This is a whole new challenge, so different to anything I’ve ever done before and I am so scared that I am going to mess up and ruin this baby’s life in some way. But I’m also so happy and excited to be having this life with you.” She reached up with her hand and gently brushed it across his cheek. “The two of you are the best things that have ever happened to me.”

Sousa leant in and kissed her again, softer than before, yet it still made Daisy melt a little inside. “I love you so much. I know I keep saying it, but I do, I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my entire life. You’re my everything.” Daisy blushed slightly at the comment. “And you were right about one thing.”

“What?”

“Getting a dog when we’re expecting a baby is a terrible idea,” he explained. Daisy let out a slight laugh. “We’ve got so much to do to make sure we’re ready, and I’ve got to read up on what’s expected of fathers in the twenty-first century because I have a feeling it’s a lot more than in the fifties.”

“Oh, it’s very different,” Daisy replied. “You’re allowed in the delivery room now.”

“Really?”

Daisy nodded. “Really, if you want to, that is.”

“Of course I want to,” he reassured. “That sounds amazing, I really want to be there for that.”

“So, what you’re saying is that we should get a cat,” Daisy said in a mischievous tone, a cheeky grin on her face.

“No, I said we shouldn’t get a dog,” Sousa replied.

“Right, we’re not getting a dog, we’re getting a cat.”

“No, we’re not….” Sousa trailed off as he looked down at Daisy. He shook his head slightly. “Fine, we’re getting a cat.” He let out a slight laugh when he saw Daisy do a small fist pump. “I love you.”

Daisy smiled up at him. “I love you too,” she replied and leant in to kiss him.

“Sousa! You’re back.”

Daisy and Sousa pulled apart and looked over to see Howard, Steve, Peggy, Kora and Jarvis walk into the room. Kora shot them a knowing smirk when she saw how they were stood.

Howard was the first to reach the couple. “Agent Sousa, it is so good to see you.” Everyone else gathered around them, fussing over Sousa as they made sure he was okay. Daisy didn’t move away from his side. She blocked the sound of everyone else out as she leant her head against his chest, instead focusing on the sound of his heartbeat.

“We should probably get Sousa back to your place, Stark,” Peggy suggested. “Let him rest after everything he’s gone through the last few days.” Howard agreed and started talking about bringing the car around.

“I need to go get my things from my locker, I won’t be long,” Sousa promised to Daisy before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

Everyone else began to make their way downstairs. Daisy was able to drag Peggy to one side.

“Does Kora know?” she asked. “Y’know, about…” Daisy trailed off and pointed down at her belly.

“She doesn’t,” Peggy confirmed. “I told everyone that heard not to mention it around her, or anyone else for that matter. I presumed you and Daniel would want to tell her the good new yourselves.”

“Thank you,” Daisy replied. “For everything.”

“It’s nothing,” Peggy said. “Now, come on, we best be getting you back as well. You’ve had a very stressful couple of days, and I can imagine that you just want to lock yourself away with your boyfriend and ignore the rest of the world for a while.”

***

It was late at night and both Daisy and Sousa were still awake. Daisy was lying on her side, her head on Sousa’s shoulder and her hand resting on his chest.

“When I got to my locker, it was already open, and of my shirts was out on the bench,” Sousa said.

“Could’ve been anyone,” Daisy argued.

“One of my pictures was with my shirt, one of us just after we moved into our apartment,” he continued.

“Maybe they were just being nosy,” she replied.

Sousa raised one eyebrow as he looked down at her. “Someone had quaked the lock open.”

“Okay, you’ve got me, it was me,” Daisy jokingly admitted. “I just missed you, okay? And smelling your shirt was really comforting, and when I saw you’d put that photo of the two of us up there, I…”

“What?”

“It’s stupid.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.”

“You put that photo of us up there with those photos of people you’d been friends with for years, like I was as important to you as they are.”

“Daisy, I put you up there with as if you were as important as them because you are,” he reassured. “Even before I knew about the baby, you were the most important person in my life.” He moved his arm so that it was around her waist and his hand began gently rubbing her belly.

“I can hear you thinking,” Daisy said. “And you’re okay to say it, I won’t be mad.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t have a proper bump yet, but I am aware that my belly is already a little fuller. I’m not going to think you’re calling me fat if you point it out.”

“I hadn’t noticed it until you told me you’re pregnant, but now I know what I’m looking for, I can tell it’s there,” he agreed.

Daisy pulled back from him suddenly and sat up slightly, so she was staring down at him. “Daniel Sousa, did you just call me fat?”

“Please tell me you’re messing with me,” Sousa begged.

The serious look dropped off Daisy’s face and was quickly replaced by a grin. “Of course I am.” She leant back down and kissed deeply, moaning into the kiss as he knotted his hands in her hair. She pulled back slightly. “Babe, as much I am enjoying where this is going, my sister is next door, and I don’t want her to hear.”

“You’ve never cared about that before,” Sousa pointed out. His hands drifted slowly down her body, causing her to shiver. His hands came to rest on her hips, thumbs rubbing her belly. “I believe that’s what got us into this situation in the first place.”

Daisy smirked slightly at him. “You’ve got a point,” she replied and leant in to kiss him again.

***

Kora glared at her sister as she and Sousa joined her for breakfast the next morning.

“What?” Daisy asked.

“I’m in the room next to yours,” Kora replied.

“I know.”

“I can hear everything.”

Daisy exchanged a look with Sousa, both of them blushing slightly. “We know.”

“I thought that just for once, I could have a nice night’s sleep without having to listen to my sister and her boyfriend- Jarvis, hey.”

Daisy looked over and saw Jarvis walking into the room. “Good morning Jarvis.”

“Good morning Miss Johnson,” Jarvis greeted. He looked around the room, noticing the blush on Sousa’s face and the glare on Kora’s. “Am I interrupting something?”

Kora opened her mouth to say something, but Daisy beat her to it.

“Absolutely nothing,” Daisy reassured. “What is it you wanted?”

“Mr Stark wants to know when you want to go to S.H.I.E.L.D.,” he replied.

“Soon,” Daisy answered. She looked over at her sister and her boyfriend. “We’ve got work to do.”


	8. Home

“Oh my god, I think I’ve got it,” Daisy announced.

Steve looked over at her from where he was sat next to Daisy. “Really.”

“Yeah, look,” she replied. She showed him the phone. The screen had changed from just his regular background. “Do you recognise this?”

“That’s the connecting screen for the secure Stark network at the Compound,” Steve explained. “The main buildings were destroyed, but a few of the outer buildings survived, and I left through a quantum tunnel right outside them. This is actually working.”

“Told you I could do it,” Daisy said,

“Didn’t doubt you for a second,” Steve replied. A notification popped up on the screen. A large green tick appeared, and the word ‘connected’ was written underneath. “Give me the phone, I know what channels they’ll be listening over.” He messed around with a few settings and started a phone call. “This Steve Rogers AKA Captain America calling any and all Avengers listening to this message. This is an urgent request for help. Does anyone read me?”

There was static for a few moments before they got a response. “Steve? Is that actually you?”

Steve smiled. He mouthed the word ‘Barton’ at Daisy. “What, does old me not call you much?”

“Well, considering the fact that you died a few weeks after everyone came back, no, he doesn’t,” Clint replied. “How the hell is this possible? Wait, when are you calling from?”

“August fifth, 1955,” Steve replied. “Had a little help from a S.H.I.E.L.D. hacker that meant I could call you guys through the quantum realm using the quantum suit.”

“Sure, why not?” Clint said. “At this point, anything makes sense. Did not know S.H.I.E.L.D. had hackers in the fifties.”

“They don’t, I should not be here,” Daisy interrupted. “Which is kinda the problem.”

“Hold up, is that Quake?” Clint asked.

“The one and only.”

“I’m guessing that’s what this call is about,” Clint replied. “Should’ve known that this wasn’t a social call.”

“We need you to pass a message onto S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Daisy explained. “Let them know they’ve got three agents stranded in 1955 that need picking up.”

“They can do that?” Clint asked.

“Yeah, we had time travel figured out while ago,” Daisy replied. “We’re in New York, there’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. airfield just outside the city, the one we still use today, they’ll know where it is. Peggy told them to expect visitors, so they’re ready for the Zephyr to land.”

“August fifth, 1955, right?” Clint checked.

“August fifth, 1955,” Daisy confirmed.

“I’ll reach out to Piper, get her to pass on the message,” Clint promised.

“Clint, I’m sorry about leaving you all right after we lost Tony and Nat,” Steve apologised. “I shouldn’t have left the team at a time like that. Can you let everyone else know what I said?”

“I will, it was nice talking to you Steve,” Clint replied. “Goodbye.”

The call ended and the static returned briefly before the phone lost its connection with the Stark network.

Daisy let out a sigh of relief. “We did, we actually did it.” She and Steve looked at each other before grinning. “I have to go tell the others.”

“You go,” Steve said. “I’ll clear up in here.”

“Thanks,” Daisy replied before racing out of the room. She made her way to the bullpen where she found both Kora and Sousa talking with Peggy.

Sousa was immediately concerned when he saw her come running into the room. “Honey, is everything alright?”

“We- I’m fine, don’t worry,” she replied, catching herself before she accidentally referenced the baby. “I got the message through.”

“Wait, for real?” Kora exclaimed. Daisy nodded and her sister let out a squeal. “We’re going home?”

“We’re going home,” Daisy confirmed.

***

Daisy and Sousa were in the locker room changing back into the clothes they’d been wearing when they’d first arrived in 1955.

“So, when are we planning on telling everyone else?” Sousa asked.

“I don’t know,” Daisy replied. “On the one hand, I want to tell them as soon as possible because they’re my family and I want to share this with them, but on the other hand, I want to sleep for like a week. And if they’re picking us up in Zephyr-1, not Zephyr-3, we’ll be heading straight back to Earth, so that’s an option.”

“Sleep for a week and then have everyone over for dinner and tell them then,” Sousa suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” Daisy replied. She turned to face him. “Can we tell Kora first? It’s going to have the biggest impact on her life, I think it would be best if we told her first.”

“Of course we can,” Sousa replied. He noticed she was in her suit again. He looked her up and down. “Still think you should add a Q to the utility belt.”

“You’re lucky I love you,” she said but had a smile on her face as she let him pull her close as he leant in to kiss her.

***

The group were at the airfield waiting for the Zephyr to arrive. Kora was talking with Howard and Jarvis and Daisy and Steve were bickering over who was better between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. As she was talking, she heard Peggy talking with Sousa. The pair had been sat in relative silence, but after a few moments of watching the others talk, Peggy turned to face Sousa.

“I’m going to tell you something, and I need you to remember this for the rest of your life,” she said.

Sousa frowned slightly. “Go on.”

Peggy looked over at Daisy, who looked away, hoping that Peggy hadn’t caught her listening in. “Daniel Sousa, you had better look after her.”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“I mean it,” Peggy said. “You, more than anyone else I have known, deserve a chance to be happy. And she’s it. She is one of the best things to have ever happened to you.”

“One of?” Sousa asked.

Peggy let out a slight laugh. “I dare say that baby is going to go pretty high up the list of best things to have ever happened to you as well.”

“I never got a chance to thank you for what you did for Daisy while I was gone,” Sousa replied. “You really helped her through that time, and I can never thank you enough for that.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Peggy said. She looked over at Daisy and Steve. Daisy looked away as if she hadn’t been listening in and went back to making stupid jokes about their lives in the twenty-first century. “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?”

“Absolutely no idea,” Sousa answered.

The laughter had caused Kora, Howard, and Jarvis to stop their conversation and listen in as well.

“How did you take down Captain America?” Daisy asked.

“We shot him in the legs because his shield is the size of a dinner plate and he is an idiot,” Steve replied in a ridiculous fake accent.

“Still no idea,” Sousa said to Peggy.

Kora spotted something out the window. “It’s the Zephyr,” she announced. “They’re here.”

***

Everyone was waiting outside when the Zephyr landed. Daisy was practically bouncing with excitement when the ramp began to lower. Coulson was stood at the top of the ramp. Daisy raced forwards when she saw him and hugged him tightly.

“Hey A.C.,” Daisy greeted. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Coulson replied.

“Also, Cap’s here,” Daisy said.

“Shit.”

“Coulson, good to see you,” Steve said as he and the rest of the group made their way up the ramp and onto the Zephyr. “Nice to see you’re alive.”

“Steve, hi,” Coulson replied. Everyone stood there in uncomfortable silence for a few moments. “This is awkward.”

“Yeah, it is,” Steve said. “Just tell the rest of the Avengers that you’re okay.”

“If you count being a robot version of myself, then sure I’m okay. But I’ll tell them,” he promised.

“If forcing you to meet with one of the Avengers is all that it took to tell the rest of them that you’re alive, then I would’ve set something like this years ago,” said a new voice.

Daisy looked around and saw May. She smiled widely when she saw her. Daisy raced over to the other woman and hugged her.

“We were so worried about you,” May said.

“What are you talking about?” Daisy asked.

“We heard from Zephyr-3 a week ago that you three had gone missing after you’d landed on a new planet,” May explained. “We were getting Zephyr-1 ready to head out into space to help with the search and rescue mission when Piper got the message from Barton about where you were.”

“Howard, no,” Peggy scolded. Daisy looked over and saw that Howard was trying to head into the lab.

“But,” he started to argue.

“No,” Peggy insisted.

“We should probably go before Howard finds something that’ll cause him to break the entire timeline,” Sousa suggested. People started saying goodbye and Steve, Peggy, Howard, and Jarvis made their way down the ramp, although Peggy had to practically drag Howard away from the lab.

“Last chance to change your mind,” Daisy said as she walked over to stand next to Sousa.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to his side. “Never,” he replied before kissing her softly. “I am never leaving you.

***

_One week later_

“Kora, for the love of God, please put your towels back on the rack when you’re done using them,” Daisy nagged from the bathroom. “We have guests coming over in ten minutes and we don’t want them to think me live in a dump.” She walked out of the bathroom to see that Sousa and Kora had finished building the cat tree. “That’s looking good.”

“I don’t get why you’re getting a cat,” Kora said. “I mean, what’s going to happen to it when we go back to space?”

“Towels,” Daisy repeated.

Kora rolled her eyes but went to put them away anyway. Daisy exchanged a knowing look with Sousa, and he went to fetch the gift from their room.

“Kora, can you come here?” Daisy asked as Kora walked back out of the bathroom. Kora gave her a weird look but came and sat next to Daisy on the sofa. “Daniel and I aren’t going back to space once Zephyr-3 gets back. And we’re not going to be going back to space for a while. And we’re going to need you to move out of the spare room relatively soon.”

“What, why?” Kora demanded. Sousa walked out of his and Daisy’s bedroom at that moment and handed the gift to Daisy, who passed it to Kora. It was a small box wrapped with cream coloured paper covered in brightly coloured spots and tied with a blue bow. “What’s this?”

“Just open it,” Daisy insisted, an excited grin on her face. Sousa came and sat next to her and she reached over to hold tightly onto his hand as she waited for Kora to open the gift.

Kora pulled a mug out of the small box. “The fun aunt,” Kora read off the side of the mug. “Why would- oh. Oh. Oh!” She looked up to face Sousa and Daisy, her mouth open wide in shock. “You’re pregnant?!” Daisy nodded and Kora launched herself forward and hugged her sister. “I’m so happy for the two of you.” She pulled back slightly. “Who else knows?”

“Simmons, she did the blood analysis for me when I couldn’t find any pregnancy tests on Zephyr-3,” Daisy answered. “And Peggy, I had a slight mental breakdown in her office while Daniel was missing. That’s why we’re having everyone else around later; we’re telling them tonight.”

There was a knock at the front door. Kora grinned at Sousa and Daisy. “I’ll go hide this in my room.” She was halfway out of the room when she turned around and run back to hug Daisy again. “Sorry, just still really happy for you both.”

***

“And that’s how I found out that Barton’s EMP arrows won’t knock me out, but can still hurt me,” Coulson said, finishing his story about how he’d told all the Avengers that he was alive.

The group had moved from the dining table to the sofas in the living room. Alya had worn herself out after dinner and was asleep against Simmons’s side.

“She’s so sweet,” May said as she looked at the young girl.

“She’s a little monkey, but she loves seeing all of her aunts and uncles,” Fitz replied. He looked over at May and Coulson. “And her grandparents.”

“She’s going to love meeting up a lot more when her little cousin arrives,” Daisy commented in as casual a tone as she could muster at that point. She exchanged knowing looks with Sousa, Kora and Simmons as the others seemed temporarily thrown by what she had just said.

May was the first one to figure out what Daisy had just said, almost dropping her drink in shock. “For real?”

Daisy nodded as May made her way over to where Sousa and Daisy were sat and hugged the couple.

“Oh!” Yo-Yo exclaimed as she figured out what Daisy meant. “Congratulations you two.”

Fitz looked over at Simmons. “You don’t seem surprised, is this what you were working on in the lab the other week.” Simmons nodded. Fitz let out a slight laugh and shook his head slightly. “But seriously, congratulations to you both.”

“I’m guessing this is why you requested to not be put on Zephyr-3’s next deep space mission,” Mack said. He smiled at the couple. “I’m happy for you tremors. And Sousa, you’d better remember what I told you.”

Sousa nodded. “Yes sir.”

Coulson looked around the room in confusion. “Am I the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on?”

May rolled her eyes. “She’s pregnant Phil.”

“Wait, seriously?” Coulson asked.

Daisy nodded. “Yeah, I’m pregnant.” She looked at Sousa, a warm smile on her face. “We’re going to parents.” She looked over Coulson and frowned at him. “Are you okay?”

Coulson nodded. “Fine, just really wish that Fitzsimmons hadn’t given me the ability to cry.” Daisy stood from her seat and made her way over to Coulson and hugged him. “Sorry, just can’t help but think about how much you’ve changed since I first recruited you.”

“If someone told me that younger me that being kidnapped from my van would somehow be one of best things that ever happened to me, would put me on track to having this life, with this family, I would’ve never believed you,” Daisy replied. She made her way back to where she’d been sat with Sousa. She leant in against his side as he wrapped one arm around her shoulder. “And I’m really glad you did.”

“Sorry about putting a bag over your head though,” Coulson apologised.

Daisy shrugged. “It’s in the past… as long as we get a very nice present at the baby shower.”

Coulson let out a laugh. “I think I can work with that.”

“Ooh, the baby shower,” Simmons exclaimed. “We need to start planning that.”

“Simmons, calm down,” Daisy pleaded. “I’m, what, seven weeks along. You don’t need to be worrying about that yet.”

“No, we do,” Yo-Yo argued. “Were we thinking of a theme? Maybe space? Or the fifties?”

“Guys, this isn’t necessary,” Daisy insisted.

“If not a proper theme, what about just themed around one colour?” May suggested. She looked around the room and took in the decorations. “Maybe purple? You really do love purple.”

“It definitely won’t be a gender reveal as well, you’ve mentioned before how much you hate those,” Simmons added.

“They do reinforce sexist gender roles,” Daisy agreed. “But that’s not the point.”

“I could bake a cake, or maybe some cupcakes, for the shower,” Kora offered.

“No,” Daisy and Sousa said at the same time.

“What?” Kora demanded.

“I give in, I agree to the baby shower,” Daisy replied. “But so long as my sister isn’t allowed anywhere near a kitchen.”

“She is never allowed to cook for us ever again,” Sousa agreed. “Not after last time.”

“Do we want to know?” Mack asked.

“No,” Daisy and Sousa said at the same time again.

“It wasn’t totally my fault,” Kora defended.

“Here we go,” Daisy muttered as she slumped back against Sousa. She tried to keep an angry look on her face but couldn’t help but smile as Kora told the story to the rest of the group, her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be the final chapter, but I had an idea halfway through for a final bit that felt like it made the chapter a little too long, so there will be an epilogue out tomorrow.


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone order a chapter of pure fluff?

_Seven and a half months later._

Daisy let out a relieved sigh as she leant against the wall outside the nursery as Sousa gently closed the door behind them, avoiding making any noise.

“She’s finally asleep,” Daisy muttered. “I didn’t think she was ever going to settle down.”

“I know,” he replied. He pressed a kiss to Daisy’s forehead and took her hand in his and started to hug her in the direction of the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll make dinner.”

Daisy sat down in one of the bar stools at the island in the kitchen and grabbed her tablet. She flicked through a few messages and promises of upcoming visits from the rest of the team as Sousa made a quick meal for the two. A small ball of fur jumped onto the counter in front of Daisy.

“Mochi, get down,” Daisy scolded, reaching over to scoop up the Balinese cat and dump her back on the floor.

“Is she jumping on the counters again?” Sousa asked without looking around.

“Of course she is,” Daisy replied. “It’s her favourite place to be.”

“Somewhere she isn’t meant to be?”

“Exactly.”

Sousa placed something in front of Daisy. She went to thank him as she looked up, expecting it to be something to eat or drink, but the words became caught in her throat when she what was really in front of her. It was a small velvet box, opened to reveal a ring. A large diamond was set into the band, three smaller purple stones on either side of the diamond.

“Daniel is this… are you… oh my god.”

Sousa walked around to stand in front of Daisy. He took the tablet from her hands and placed it down on the counter, before picking up the ring box and going down on one knee in front of her. “Daisy, you and our daughter are the two greatest things to have ever happened to me.” He paused for a moment and glanced over at the cat, who had moved to sit on the back of the sofa. “Sorry Mochi,” he said, earning a small laugh from Daisy, her hands covering her mouth as she fought back a few happy tears. “My life changed infinitely for the better, in ways I could never have imagined or dared to dream of, the day I walked into my office and met that agents whose initials were C, I and A. You are my everything and I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you. Daisy Louise Johnson, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Daisy replied. “God, yes. I will marry you.”

Sousa smiled at her, also beginning to cry slightly as he placed the ring onto her finger. He was about to stand up when Daisy slid off the barstool and joined him on the floor. She cupped his face in her hands as she kissed him deeply. Sousa noticed the pained look on her face when they pulled apart.

“Daisy, are you okay?”

Daisy nodded but was still obviously in pain. “I’m fine, just regretting sitting on the floor like this six days after giving birth.” She tried to stand but winced.

“I’ve got this,” Sousa said. He managed to scoop her up as he stood and carried her to the sofa. He gently set her down and leant in to kiss her. He pulled away and started to head back towards the kitchen.

“No, stay with me,” Daisy whined as she made grabbing motions with her hands, a mock pout on her face.

“Do you want dinner or not?” Sousa asked. Daisy relented and waited for him to come back. He sank down onto the sofa next to Daisy. He held out the plate with the large pizza and smiled at the look on Daisy’s face when she took a bite from a slice. “When do you want to tell the others?”

Daisy held her hand out, proudly displaying the engagement ring. “Take a photo and send it on the group chat.”

Sousa smiled at her and took the photo on his phone. He typed out a quick message before turning the phone around to show her. “How’s this?”

Daisy took the phone from him and smiled. While the ring was in focus in the photo, it was still clear that she was eating pizza in the background. Sousa had written a simple message of ‘she said yes’. “It’s perfect. Did you tell anyone you were proposing?”

“Just May and Coulson,” Sousa replied. “Call me old fashioned but I wanted to ask for their blessing first. And I know they aren’t your biological parents, but they are your parents in all the ways that matter. I know how much they mean to you and I wanted their approval.”

“That’s really sweet,” Daisy said. “But you do know that they approved of you from pretty much the second they realised you like me?”

“I know, I just had to make sure,” Sousa answered. His and Daisy’s phones both started going off at the same time. “I’m guessing that’s the team.”

Daisy briefly looked at her phone as she muted it. “It is, but right now I just want to spend time with my fiancé.” She let out a slight laugh. “My fiancé, that feels so weird to say. Not in a bad way, but still strange.”

“I love it, calling you my fiancée,” Sousa replied as he also muted his phone. A cry sounded from the direction of the nursery. The couple let out matching sighs. “We shouldn’t have said anything about her finally settling down, we were asking for something like this.” He stood up. “I’ll go get her.”

“No, I’ll-”

“Honey, I’ll go get her,” he offered and pressed a kiss to her head as he walked out of the room.

Daisy sighed as she leant back against the sofa cushions. Mochi, who was still sat on the back of the sofa, rested her front paws and head on Daisy’s shoulder. Daisy reached behind and scratched behind the cat’s ear. “You’re a good cat Mochi, so I’m going to apologise now for when she’s a toddler.”

Sousa walked back into the room with the fussing baby. “I think she’s hungry again.”

Daisy held her arms out and took the baby from her fiancé. “Come here Pippa. Is Daddy not giving you any food?”

“I physically can’t,” Sousa jokingly argued.

“She doesn’t know that,” Daisy pointed out as she started to nurse the baby. “Mochi’s coming for your lap. Funny how it was my idea to get a cat, yet she’s latched onto you.” She noticed Sousa frowning at her. “Is something wrong?”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

"Of course I am, why?"

“You’re crying.”

Daisy shifted her arms, so she was able to support Pippa with one arm and brought the other hand up to wipe at her cheek. She stared in confusion at the tears on the back of her hand. “I hadn’t even noticed.”

“Daisy, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am,” she promised. “I’m not just fine, I’m more than fine. I’m happy. I am so, so happy.”

“Then why-”

“Because I never realised I could be this happy,” she confessed. “Not when I was growing up, not in my early years at S.H.I.E.L.D. but then I realised everything I have now. I have you, and Pippa.” She glanced down at the cat in Sousa’s lap. “And Mochi. And we have this amazing home together and now we’re engaged as well; this is just never something I thought I was going to have. I am happy right, happier than I ever thought I would be and that is just a lot to take in once I realised it.” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. to find my parents, and sure I found them, but they both turned out to be psychopathic murderers. But I still found my family, the team and now you and I have a little family of our own, I’m just so happy right now it doesn’t seem possible.”

Sousa reached out and wiped away the remaining tears before leaning across over the top of Pippa to kiss Daisy softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me writing Left Behind: here's the name I choose for their daughter and here's them discussing the reasoning and meaning behind it and how it fits into the plot  
> Me writing this: I kept refreshing a random name generator until it came up with a name I liked and I went with it
> 
> Also, because apparently people like it when I do this, Mochi is also named after a pet I had in the sims 4, which is also why I was so specific about the breed of cat
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented on this, this has been the best response I've ever gotten from a fic and reading all your comments has made me so happy over the past week.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: *writes one fic using "anatomy analysis" as code for "pregnancy test"  
> My brain: good, write another


End file.
